Suction cleaner for submerged surfaces

ABSTRACT

A suction cleaner for swimming pools with a driving turbine has a suction nozzle projected at the turbine which nozzle is made of silicone rubber so that it can distend to allow large objects to pass through.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a suction cleaner for submerged surfaces.

One highly successful suction cleaner utilises a water turbine driven bywater flowing through the cleaner to drive and steer the cleaner. Aproblem which does arise is that the inlet to the cleaner head is formedas a nozzle directed at the turbine impeller, and that the nozzlesometimes gets blocked by foreign objects which have fallen into thewater.

It is an object of the invention to alleviate this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention a suction cleaner head for use on a submergedsurface comprises:

a turbine housing,

a suction inlet in the base of the housing,

an outlet from the housing adapted to be connected to a suction hose, ashaft journalled in the housing,

a turbine mounted on the shaft,

means driven by the shaft for causing the head to move over thesubmerged surface, and

a nozzle projecting from the inlet at the turbine, the nozzle beingformed of a resiliently deformable material, such as rubber andpreferably silicone rubber. The means driven by the shaft could be therocker and feet mechanism described in US patent application Ser. No.480,360 filed Mar. 30, 1983 and South African patent No. 83/2179 or theendless track drive described in US patent application Ser. No. 532,176filed Sept. 14, 1983 and South African patent No. 83/6739.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a section through a suction cleaner, FIG. 2 is a section onthe line 2--2, and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an object passing through.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates the suction cleaner which has been described in thecomplete specification of South African patent No. 83/2179. Themodification brought about by the present invention is that the inlet tothe casing 10 in which the turbine 11 operates is formed by a nozzle 12made of a silicone rubber.

FIG. 2 is a section though the nozzle 12 in the normal course ofoperations while FIG. 3 shows the nozzle 12 with a stone 13 passingthrough.

A major advantage of the present invention is that the nozzle 12 can bemade of a relatively small cross-sectional area for the cleaner to workwith relatively low power suction pumps. With these devices the smallerthe nozzle the more likely is it that it will be blocked. With theimprovement of the present invention the nozzle is largelyself-clearing.

I claim:
 1. A suction cleaner head for use on a submerged surfacecomprising:a turbine housing, a suction inlet in the base of thehousing, an outlet from the housing adapted to be connected to a suctionhose, a shaft journalled in the housing, a turbine mounted on the shaft,means driven by the shaft for causing the head to move over thesubmerged surface, and a nozzle projecting from the inlet to theturbine, the nozzle being formed of a resiliently deformable material.2. The suction cleaner claimed in claim 1 in which the nozzle is made of15 rubber.
 3. The suction cleaner claimed in claim 2 in which the rubberis silicone rubber.